STATEMENT BY I. K. GUJRAL, MINISTER OF EXTERNAL
AFFAIRS, IN THE INDIAN PARLIAMENT ON 11 SEPTEMBER, 1996

On the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

This honble House will recall that I had made a suo moto statement
regarding the CTBT on 26 August 1996, outlining our assessment of the developments
in Geneva and our approach during the discussions in the General Assembly
in New York. The discussion that followed was heartening in that
it reflected a national consensus on an issue which the government considers
to be of vital national importance. The strength of the national
consensus is reflected in the policy of this government and the course
of action which was adopted during the discussions in New York. Today,
may I, with your permission take this opportunity to brief the hon'ble
House on the developments in the resumed session of the 50th UN General
Assembly in New York.

As hon'ble members are aware, we had withheld consensus on the
draft text of the CTBT in the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva because
it fell far short of the mandate in all its aspects. It is not a
"comprehensive treaty" - it permits the nuclear weapon states to continue
their weapons related research and development activity using non-explosive
technologies. it lacks any meaningful commitment to nuclear disarmament
and instead of being the definitive first step of the nuclear disarmament
process, it only serves to perpetuate the existing discriminatory status
quo. Consequently, the draft text cannot contribute to the enhancement
of international peace and security.

From India's point of view, the treaty also had an unacceptable
provision in Article XIV
dealing with Entry into Force which seeks to impose obligations on
India despite our clearly stated position that India would not subscribe
to this text. Hon'ble members are aware that we have made known our
strong objections to this formulation, in bilateral discussions and in
multilateral fora. As this provision was not modified, India was
obliged to convey its opposition to the text, both in Geneva and in New
York.

Through a procedural maneuver, the draft text was introduced in the
resumed session of the
50th UN General Assembly in New York. We made it clear to the
president of the UN General Assembly and all other delegations that such
an approach did not obscure the fact that this text is a non-consensus
text which does not fulfill the mandate given to the Conference on Disarmament.
Subsequently, we have also informed the president of the UN General Assembly
and all delegations about the amendments that would be required for the
draft treaty to meet the mandate of the Conference on Disarmament.
In doing so, we have placed our concerns regarding the procedure and the
shortcomings in the draft treaty text on record. Hon'ble members
are aware that our amendments called for a commitment to nuclear disarmament
within a time-bound framework and for a genuinely comprehensive treaty
which commits all countries to refrain from any activity relating to the
development, refinement and qualitative improvement of nuclear weapons.
We also have, in this document, put forward our amendment relating to Article
XIV regarding Entry into Force.

The deliberations in the UN General Assembly session concluded last
night with a resolution adopting the flawed text of the CTBT and calling
for a signing conference to be convened at an early date. 158 countries
voted in favor of the Australian proposal which was co-sponsored by 126
countries. Libya and Bhutan, along with India, voted against the
resolution. We particularly appreciate the fact that neighboring
Bhutan, with whom we enjoy traditional ties of close friendship and understanding,
has shared our perceptions. Similarly, it is a matter of satisfaction
that Mauritius, with whom we share close ties, expressed understanding
regarding our position and chose to abstain on the resolution. in all five
countries abstained on the resolution. it is worth noting that though the
resolution has 126 co-sponsors, many non-aligned countries have taken an
active interest on this issue and have refrained from co-sponsoring the
resolution. These include, among others, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri
Lanka, the Arab Republic of Egypt, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Mexico. The vote
was preceded by an active debate which focused on the disarmament perspective
in which CTBT should have been placed. Participating in the debate
were several NAM countries. There was a widespread expression of
concern over the procedure adopted and apprehension that it may erode the
credibility of the Conference on Disarmament. A large number of countries
expressed dissatisfaction with the Entry into Force provisions as being
unprecedented and an unwelcome departure from customary international law.
The intrinsic shortcomings of the treaty text ere highlighted by non-aligned
delegations participating in the debate, reflecting a shared perception
with India. In our discussions, many countries have assured us that
they recognize the validity of our concerns. We have the distinct
impression that even after the adoption of the text, there is an uneasiness
on the part of many delegations about what has really been achieved and
the manner in which it has been brought about.

There is an understanding of India's position in the international community.
The government has taken necessary steps to sustain a dialogue with all
friendly countries in order to explain the rationale for our approach.
We are confident that our bilateral relations with countries will not be
affected by our differences on this issue. in fact, our candid and transparent
attitude and continued dialogues despite differences in perception have
ensured that our voice has been heard with respect. I must convey
my gratitude to the hon'ble members because it is the consensus in this
House and in the nation as a whole that has given strength and credibility
to the government's stand.

As regards what might happen in future, I would like to assure this
House that we will maintain our position and not sign the CTBT. The
Entry into Force provision will ensure that this treaty shall never enter
into force unless its proponents agree to amend this provision in order
to remove any possibility of imposing any obligations on India. There
have been no pressures on India and if there are any in future, I am confident
that this country has the national will to withstand such pressures.

The discussions in the UN General Assembly have clearly shown that there
is growing support for adopting a comprehensive, phased and time-bound
program for nuclear disarmament. We will continue to take initiatives
in the United Nations and other fora in keeping with our consistent and
principled policy for achieving progress towards our shared goal of a nuclear
weapon-free world which will enhance India's security and also global security.